I have been thinking about this for a few days, and really feel that we as a nation (US, not meaning to ignore anyone else) need the emotional equivalent of the space race back in the 60's -- a big, big goal that would focus us on strengthening education efforts.

I do not think Newt Gingrich's idea of a moon colony is a good one, even if it's fun to think about --- way, way too expensive for likely very little payoff.

No, I'm thinking more of a sense of urgency -- something that might make us turn away from reality shows and sports and arguing about stars' lives to valuing the entire process of education and -- shocking to say -- understanding that this is a society thing, not some individual feelings. There's nothing wrong with us except that we have become complacent and lazy. Heck, we don't even value educators anymore, often deriding them as part-time workers and little else. Our lack of attention to math and science is shocking; there's little wonder that so many top graduate students come from others countries.

We need families, students, and state and local governments deciding that nothing less than the best is what we strive for. I am completely boggled at the idea that being #1 in foobtall isn't accompanied by the same drive in academics.

I remember being a kid at the breakfast table, and hearing on the radio about the Russians and sputnik. Then of course, the space race was on, and tied to that, in my mind, is President Kennedy's speech in which he reminded citizens to "ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." Powerful words.

Then of course, everyone piled onto the idea of winning the space race -- and I mean everyone. How many of us drank Tang in the morning because it was what the astronauts drank? (Not sure they really did, but we bought into it.)

I love the idea of rallying around an idea nationally and supporting it, rather than what we've fallen to these days. All of the political sniping that goes on these days is just not good for anyone. And it certainly does not build national pride.

However, I want to be fair and even-handed here. That article about Apple and Chinese manufacturing has brought some other information to the table. So to be fair, we need to look at it, as well.

Jabber was wondering how those people at Foxconn could work 12 hour days, etc. Well, I guess they can't without terrible stress.

If you need a reminder about Foxconn, here's a clip from the article I posted up at the top of this thread:

Quote:

In Foxconn City

An eight-hour drive from that glass factory is a complex, known informally as Foxconn City, where the iPhone is assembled. To Apple executives, Foxconn City was further evidence that China could deliver workers — and diligence — that outpaced their American counterparts.

That’s because nothing like Foxconn City exists in the United States.

The facility has 230,000 employees, many working six days a week, often spending up to 12 hours a day at the plant. Over a quarter of Foxconn’s work force lives in company barracks and many workers earn less than $17 a day.When one Apple executive arrived during a shift change, his car was stuck in a river of employees streaming past. “The scale is unimaginable,” he said.

Foxconn employs nearly 300 guards to direct foot traffic so workers are not crushed in doorway bottlenecks. The facility’s central kitchen cooks an average of three tons of pork and 13 tons of rice a day. While factories are spotless, the air inside nearby teahouses is hazy with the smoke and stench of cigarettes.

Foxconn Technology has dozens of facilities in Asia and Eastern Europe, and in Mexico and Brazil, and it assembles an estimated 40 percent of the world’s consumer electronics for customers like Amazon, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Motorola, Nintendo, Nokia, Samsung and Sony.

“They could hire 3,000 people overnight,” said Jennifer Rigoni, who was Apple’s worldwide supply demand manager until 2010, but declined to discuss specifics of her work. “What U.S. plant can find 3,000 people overnight and convince them to live in dorms?”

And here's an article here's an article I just read this morning, indicating that Foxconn has had to install suicide nets on their buildings. Yes, suicide nets. Nets to keep the workers who have tried jumping off the top of the building from killing themselves. Here's a bit of a quote from the article:

Quote:

Earlier this month, workers at Foxconn's Xbox factory in China grew disgruntled after their requests for pay raises were denied. On January 2, the employees reportedly said they would stage a mass suicide--by jumping off the roof of the factory--if their demands were not met.

Microsoft took the threats seriously and immediately launched an internal investigation into the matter. Although that investigation is still ongoing, the company announced what Foxconn reiterated today, telling CNET that a deal had been reached.

"It is our understanding that the worker protest was related to staffing assignments and transfer policies, not working conditions," a Microsoft representative told CNET yesterday. "Due to regular production adjustments, Foxconn offered the workers the option of being transferred to alternative production lines or resigning and receiving all salary and bonuses due, according to length of service. After the protest, the majority of workers chose to return to work. A smaller portion of those employees elected to resign."

Over the last two years, at least 16 Foxconn employees have committed suicide in the company's Shenzhen, China factory. Three other workers attempted to kill themselves at the factory. Those deaths have prompted the company to say that it will install "suicide nets" around the factory to discourage employees from jumping from buildings. Foxconn has also offered some workers a 20 percent wage increase to improve morale.

Now, I'm not sure that just offering these workers more money is what is needed to improve morale. How about fewer hours, or better working conditions?

But I suppose if the workers were to choose to unionize, some would say this is another example of us Westerners trying to impose our values on the Chinese society...

By the way, I saw several other articles written in response to Apple's decision to manufacture in China. Here's a link to several more.

That remark by Newt about having living on the moon, scares the heck of me. We've already lost millions of dollars in outer space. I recall hearing a report years ago about a 40 million dollar satellite, the US rocketed into orbit. The thing simply disappeared; it blew up, burnt up, or merely vanished somehow. With our national debt, we can't afford such costly experiments. IMHO!

_________________________
Throw me to the wolves and I'll come back leading the pack.Grace O'Malley

I still think, after all is said 'n done and these various candidates spend millions upon millions of dollars looking for the GOP nomination, nobody will beat President Obama. His fans are loyal. And regardless of what current polls indicate, The Incumbent and First Lady have many, many people idolizing them!

_________________________
Throw me to the wolves and I'll come back leading the pack.Grace O'Malley

Anything could happen! The campaign is already nasty with lies and half-truths flying over the airwaves. The way it looks right now, the last man standing will be the one who can convince the voters with the most lies.

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